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Bush gets first look at anti-war protest near ranch

By Patricia Wilson
Reuters
Friday, August 12, 2005; 1:16 PM

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush got his first look at an anti-war vigil near his ranch on Friday as his motorcade took him by the protest site lined with small white crosses representing fallen American soldiers in Iraq.

When Bush's black sport utility vehicle carried him past the site to a Republican fund-raiser, the protest leader, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was one of the nearly 1,850 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, held up a sign that said: "Why do you make time for donors and not for me?"

Other signs said: "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam" and "Bring Them Home Now." Some protesters held up white crosses as well.

The protest vigil began last Saturday and is being led by Sheehan, who has been demanding a meeting with Bush to discuss her opposition to the Iraq war.

Two rows of police officers faced the estimated 50 roadside protesters as Bush's 15-vehicle motorcade cruised by without slowing down.

He was headed to Stan and Kathy Hickey's Broken Spoke Ranch for a barbecue and ribs lunch to raise more than $2 million for the Republican National Committee. The 230 people attending were among the party's biggest donors.

Hundreds of small white crosses had been erected along the side of Prairie Chapel Road, each hand-painted with the name of a fallen soldier.

Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in combat in Iraq in April 2004 and she met with Bush in June 2004, but she wants another meeting. The White House has refused.

With Americans increasingly questioning the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Bush tried to address Sheehan's concerns on Thursday.

"Listen, I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan," Bush told reporters. "She feels strongly about her position. And she has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America."

He said he has thought "long and hard" about her demand to "get out of Iraq now" and strongly disagreed, saying a premature withdrawal would betray the Iraqis just as they are being trained to defend themselves and allow for a U.S. pullout.

Sheehan's group, Gold Star Families for Peace, released a protest ad that the organization said would run on cable television channels near Bush's ranch during August.

"Mr. President, I want to tell you face to face how much this hurts. I love my country, but how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war? How many more soldiers have to die before we say enough?" she said in the ad.

They used to sugar coat the Korean and Vietnam "Wars" by calling them "conflicts" or "police actions" as if it would down play the seriousness of them. Ask anyone who served in those "conflicts" and they were just as deadly and significant as any war. At least in those wars we responded to nations who were attacked by other nations. In Iraq, WE WERE THE HOSTILE NATION. As stated in the Downing Street memo "The case for war was thin. Saddam was not threating his neighbors and his WMD capability was less than that of Iran and North Korea." Thus our illegal invasion is most certainly a "war" and was started by this country. I too wish Cindy good luck in her "conflict" with the president!

They used to sugar coat the Korean and Vietnam "Wars" by calling them "conflicts" or "police actions" as if it would down play the seriousness of them. Ask anyone who served in those "conflicts" and they were just as deadly and significant as any war. At least in those wars we responded to nations who were attacked by other nations. In Iraq, WE WERE THE HOSTILE NATION. As stated in the Downing Street memo "The case for war was thin. Saddam was not threating his neighbors and his WMD capability was less than that of Iran and North Korea." Thus our illegal invasion is most certainly a "war" and was started by this country. I too wish Cindy good luck in her "conflict" with the president!

They used to sugar coat the Korean and Vietnam "Wars" by calling them "conflicts" or "police actions" as if it would down play the seriousness of them. Ask anyone who served in those "conflicts" and they were just as deadly and significant as any war. At least in those wars we responded to nations who were attacked by other nations. In Iraq, WE WERE THE HOSTILE NATION. As stated in the Downing Street memo "The case for war was thin. Saddam was not threating his neighbors and his WMD capability was less than that of Iran and North Korea." Thus our illegal invasion is most certainly a "war" and was started by this country. I too wish Cindy good luck in her "conflict" with the president!

Bush has demonstrated to the world that his is indeed unfit for the role of a leadership. However, he has done every thing to make himself resemble Hitler and other most infamous dictators.

What I don't get is what kind of Christian is Bush? He has lied about almost every thing that comes out of his mounth. From being 'compassionate' to existence of weapon of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush has made truth so irrelevant in this policies and management of the highest office in the country. Bush has shamed even his mother, that alone his "god". Note that I used the lower-case 'g' because the true God would not and could not possibly tolerate an evil idiot like George W. Asshole Bush.

The website of 1010 WINS radio in NY has a lot of photos of the protest site in Crawford, mixed in with standard PR photos of Pres. Bush.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/galleries/194-1.html?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Let's see if I have this right. 15 presidential cars rush by 50 American citizens, standing on the side of the road, one of which is a mother whose son has died in Iraq.

In front of these citizens are two rows of police, shielding the president of the United States of America and his cronies from 50 American citizens who are standing in the sun peacefully. One of the 50 is a mother whose son died in Iraq and wants the president to talk to her.

My God, what a coward George Bush is. What in the world is he afraid of? The Taliban? Saddam Hussein? Osma benLaden? No, he is afraid of a woman. He is afraid of a mother who lost her son in a war that was started by George W. Bush from lies.

If he believes bringing our troops home will send a wrong message to the "enemy" (whoever they are), just what kind of message is this president sending when he will not talk to a dead veteran's mother.

G. W. Bush is of weak character, and has no moral fiber. He talks tough, but is afraid to speak to Mrs. Cindy Sheehan. He knows she is right about him, but can't face her. He can't face her because he cannot answer her question. For what noble cause did her son die?

As long as you are able, Cindy Sheehan, we wish you well in Crawford. You are a strong woman who is doing the right thing. God Bless you!

C'mon, Laura. You're a woman of integrity and conviction...people listen to you, unlike your "other half". Forget about George and tell us how you REALLY feel. The whole country is waiting for answers.

Laura Bush is just the evil female extension of Bush. She sits by wistfully and supports the wicked lies, manipulation of the Bush Administration. All she has to do is smile, be silent, like a good little Republican wife and partake of the greedy goods she do doefully wants. She lacks the compassion to do or say anything. She's one of them. Get real America.

Laura Bush is the evil female extension of her husband. She HAS NO INTEGRITY OR HONOR. She sits by wistfully playing the role of the happy little Republican wife, while greedily enjoying the spoils of American backs and lives. Wake up America, there is no integrity between this womans ears.

down low so that he didn't have to see the protesters -- or so that they couldn't see him! -- as his car sped by them at 45 mph on a country road in the middle of Texas? Sheesh, what a cowardly cowboy.

Can anyone confirm or dispel the story below? If true, there are 1,000's of our troops that have not been reported as casualties from the Iraq war because they were en route to a hospital or died after getting there.

The "official" death toll only counts COMBAT deaths. It does not include deaths from accidents, suicide, or whatever. This is done to mislead the public about the true cost of the war. Injury numbers are obfuscated too. I believe injured soldiers are up to about 9000.

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